What is the University of Maryland Extension (UME) Internship?

The UME Internship is one of the efforts coordinated by the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) unit within the University of Maryland Extension. The internship program is part of UME’s long-standing mission to extend university’s resources and knowledge to support the  residents of Maryland. Student interns will be paired with a faculty or staff member working in county and regional Extension Offices, including offices in Prince George’s, Montgomery, and Howard counties. Through assisting and participating in Extension work, the student interns will gain hands-on experience that not only makes a difference in the communities but also supports their future career plans and network opportunities. Since launching in Fall semester of 2019, 37 student interns, including international students through the Virtual Global Internship (VGI), have worked with our partners to address various needs of Maryland residents.

Examples of programs that previous Extension interns have worked in include:

  • Rural Health Insurance and Health Care Utilization

  •  Nutrition and Health Education for Seniors

  • Food Waste and Food Recovery

  • Financial Literacy and Financial Management

  • Personal finance social media content design

  •  Mindfulness Program for Stress Management

  •  Educational Programs Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Rural Maryland

  • Food safety from farm-to-fork: food preservation, food recalls, Bio-engineered foods (GMOs), safe food handling at home, starting and maintaining a food business

 

Through the internship, students will:

  • Gain real world experience in the community or the opportunity to work in applied research projects

    • Conduct literature reviews, practice qualitative and quantitative methods

    • How to conduct needs assessments; develop, implement, and evaluate theory-based education programs in the community

  • Have opportunities to utilize some of the ideas, theories, and techniques

  • Learn about the mission of the Extension program:

    • USDA-NIFA Mission, LGUs, Historically Black Universities, and Hispanic-serving agricultural colleges and universities

  • Develop professionalism, higher education, and career-related experience: resume-building projects

  • Enhance communication skills: oral, written, and infographics. Blogs, fact sheets, and peer-reviewed journal submissions

 

Who is a good fit for the internship program?

Students interested in community/public health, health equity, outreach, education and/or
awareness are all encouraged to apply. Previous student interns have pursued various
professional goals, including but not limited to medical school, graduate school, social work, and human services, after graduation.

Testimonials

Testimonial 1

I interact with people differently and my mental health has improved as a result of the information I learned through Maryland ROTA’s work with Mental Health First Aid. This internship has allowed me the opportunity to experience how it is to work as part of a team.

 

Kiara

Testimonial 2

Not only did I learn skills that could be transferrable to future careers but I sharpened skills that are directly related to my future work, including health literacy and cultural competency skills.

Kristin

Testimonial 3

The Extension is making a difference in Maryland community members’ lives, and as an intern, I’ve gained so much by being part of this big organization, and I’m glad to be part of the organization to help the community members

Zhiqi

Testimonial 4

Throughout the course of this internship, I feel that I have surely furthered my personal and professional growth. I mainly focused on community interventions and working at the community-level to provide any resources that may be needed, and I feel I have gained a lot from working at UME.

Charlie

Testimonial 5

My internship has not only allowed me to learn so much about financial literacy but also made me a more confident person. I am confident in the work I am producing, I am confident speaking in a meeting full of professionals, and I am confident that I can handle any obstacle thrown at me.

Danielle

Testimonial 6

It was an excellent opportunity to read documents dealing with Family Science in-depth and learn how to make translation documents with team members!

If you are interested in participating in the UME internship program, please click on the "For Students" tab to learn more.